Electrically-operated and mechanically-controlled train-stopping device.



w. LMURRAYL ELEGTRICALLY OPERATED AND MECHANICALLY CGNTROLLED TRAINSTOPPiNG DEHCE. L2913,9L

APPLlCATlON flLED JULY 2?. 1912.

Patentedi Jain. 191?.

2 SHEETS-SHEET i.

Gnu/m v APPLICATION FILED JULY 27,19I2.

Patented Jan. 30, 1917.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. 3Q

' v 9 69 awwwtozr A Bflfwrray, ,Wihwomo l 4 WILLIAM B. J3 VZ'PLSHIJFTGTON, DBQTRIC'I' 13F CGIUMBIA, ASSIGWQE THE IiEILLER TBAIl iGON'IRGL CORPOEAEION, 0F STAUTGN,

VIBE-131E112.

AND MECHANICALLY-CQ VXRGII TIA, .k CORIEGRAZE'ION IQE'VICE.

iication filed. July 27, 191:2.

invention relates to an slootllf ll operate-(l and nieciniinioa-llycondevice for antoi iatioaily stopping" a An important object ofthisinvention is to provide means of the above for use in connection withrail.- i ay loeoniotives street cars or the like, to :ticai-ly set thebrakes in times of for preventing collisions or other ts. in inrtherobject of my invention is to provide eleetrioally operated mm s of theabove mentioned character, which will. apply the brakes when its circuitis openeol, thus always operating on the safe sicle, the

hralres being applied if the circuit should. get out of order 01" thesource 0t current fail.

()ther objects and advantages of the in Vention will be apparent duringthe course of foliowingdescription.-

in the accompanying drawin s forming a part of this specification and inwhich like nnn'ierals are employed to designate parts throughout thesame, Figure 1 is a side View, partly diagrammatic, of the apparatus,Fig. 2 is a. sirie View of the air brake valve and operating meanstherefor, Fig. 3 is a plan View of the same, and, Fig. i is afragmentary detail View showing the manner in which the spring brainsvalve againstmovement.

In the drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration I have shown apreferred. embodiment of my invention, the numeral 1 designates areciproeatory bar or rod, formed of iron or the like and preferablyVertically disposed, as shown. This bar is slidably mountecl which arein spaced brackets 2, rigidly connected with the frame Work of theengine and insnlatedtherefrom. The bar or'rocl 1 is urgecl downwardly bycompressible coil spring 3, having one end Specification of LettersPatent.

mentioned fine frame-Work of the holds the air ii 'tacheci to a lorli l:n iion the zip per bracket 2 and; pposite and attacheii to a ln'acli'et5., fi ter upon the reciprocatorv bar or rod 1, shown This bar or i'otlr or l a shoe G ailaptetl oarries at its lot 4. for engagementwith lPEI! n which is curredlongitudinally in a in ion-l plane.

A switch is provided near the uppen enci oi'ihe reciproeatory bar or Mprises a swinging arm ,liorn snl'ating material and pivoted. at 9 incarries as shown.

upon a fixed bracket 0.

its free end a eonta The reciprocatory bar 8 are iienihly and yielr by acompressible coil. spring 1 e clesireol degree of st. tallio strip 13 islll'filfig the arm 8 anti. is-iixecl to a sta tion 14c. This metaiiiestr p with a stationary contact blade :5, to be engaged ancl. disengagedby the mom able swinging" blade 1L obvious thatthe metalliestrip 13'isinsnlaterl from engine. 'ihennmeral 16 designates an upstandingsoienoicl having a downwardly movable core The solenoid 16'is preferablydisposed Withina casing 18, which is mounted upon the frame-Work of theengine, Rigicily connected with the upperenni. oi the casing 18 is asupporting bracket 19 upon Which is pivotally mounted a lever 20 formedof insulating material. This lever 20 is also pivotal-ly connected Withthe upper end. the eore 1'? through the medium of a link 21 or othersuitably'flexihle con nection. Rigidly secured upon'the lever 20 is ametallic strip 22 carrying at its lower end a contacthlacle 23, adaptedto he moved into and out of engagement with a contact blade 24, which isfixed upon the upper enoi of the metallic strip 13.

One end, of the winding 16 is electrically connected tionary nieary insnla fl 8 is proviriecl anapteli Oi the solenoid with the reciprocatorybar or rod 1. by wire and the below tallic strip 22 by a Wire 29 and itsopposite pole connected with a wire 30. A wire 31 is connected with themetallic strip 13, as shown.

The numeral 32 designates an air brake valve structure, including acasing and valve stem 33, which is turned by a hand-lever 34. This valvestructure controls the application of the air brakes in the usual mannerand such valve structure is ordinarily operated by the engineer. Thehand-lever 34 slidably engages a stationary segmental track 35, themovement of the lever being limited in one direction by an upstandingear 36 and in the opposite direction by an adjustable stop 37. Theluind-lever 3% is moved to actuate the valve structure for applying thebrakes, by a retractile coil spring 38. The hand-lever 3i carries adepending lug 39, rigidly connected therewith and adapted for engagementwith the "free end of'a bow-spring 40. As shown at 4-1, the lower end ofthe bowspring i0 is rigidly attached to an end or head 42 of a casingiii. The bow-spring i0 is so tensioned that its upper free end will moveout of the path of travel of the lug 39 if not held against suchmovement.

Disposed within the casing i3 is a solenoid 44:. having an upwardlymovable core 4:5. This core 45 has flexible connection with the upperfree end of the bow-spring 40 through the medium of a pivotal link it;or the like. The wire 30 is connected with one end of the winding of thesolenoid H; and the wire 31 is connected with the opposite end ofsuchwinding.

The ramp 7 may be connected and disconnected with one pole of a sourceof current 4-8 by means including a. switch 49. The opposite pole ofthis source of current is connected with a track rail 50 by a wire 51.Any other suitable means, however, may be employed to connect anddisconnect the ramp 7 with its source of current.

The operation of the apparatus is as'tollows:-T he contact blades 11 and15 are normally in engagement whereby a circuit is closed for retainingthe solenoid 44 energized. As soon as the solenoid 44 becomesdecnorgized the upper free end of the bowspring 410 will move downwardlyand allow the retractile coil spring 3?? to swing the hand-lever 3st forapplying" the brakes. in this closed circuit current flows irom one poleof the source of current 28 through wire A l, metallic strip wire '27,contact. blades 11 and 15, wire 31, solenoid 4:4, and through the wire30 back to the opposite pole of the source of current. Assuming that theramp 7 has electrical connection with its source of current, as soon asthe shoe 8 comes into engagement with the same. a circuit is closed forenergizing the solenoid 16. in this cir cuit current flows from one poleof the source of current -18 through switch 19, ramp 7,

shoe 6, bar 1, wire 25, solenoid 16, wire 26, frame-work of the engine,rail 50, and through wire 51 back to the opposite pole of the source ofcurrent in. By energizing the solenoid 16 the movable core 17 is drawndownwardly and the contact blade 23 moved into engagement with thecontact blade 2+ prior to the disengagement between the contact blades11 and 15, which is caused by the elevation of the bar or rod 1. it isthus seen that the circuit for energizing the solenoid it remainsclosed, the same being completed through contact blades 23 and itinstead of through contact blades 11 and 15. The brakes will not be:pplicd and the engine accordingly allowed to pass the ramp 7.

Assuming that the switch ill is open so that the imp section '7 isdisconnected from the source of current -l8 when the shoe (3 engagessaid ramp section 7 the solenoid 10 will not be energized, wherebycontact blades 23 and 24 remain out of engagement. The circuit forenergizing the solenoid H- is opened when the bar or rod 1 issufficiently elevated to disconnect the contact blades 11 and 15. Assoon as this takes place the solonoid 44 being deiinergized the upperfree end of the bow-spring 40 moves downwardly out of the path of travelof the lug 3E) and the retractile coil spring 38 swings the handlever 34for applying the brakes.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and thatcertain changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In apparatus of thecharacter described, train stopping means, means to automati callyoperate the train stopping means when released, means normallypreventing the operation of the train stopping means and adapted toautomatically move upon being released so that said train stopping meansmay operate, an electrical device to normally hold the last named mainsagainst such antomatic movement, a normally closed circuit including asource of current connected with the electrical device, a switchconnected in the closed circuit, a mechanically operated structure toactuate the switch, a stationary ramp to move the mechanically operatedstructure, a source of current having electr'cal connection with thestationary ramp,

and means including an electrical device having electrical connectionwith the movable structure and adapted when energized to close thecircuit upon the opening of the switch.

2. In automatic train stopping apparatus of the character described,automatically operated device, -mea'ns to open the closed circuit, andelec- ;tr1ca'lly operated means to close the circuit.

1 "of ythe character described, automatically 'operated train stoppingmeans, electrically operated train stopping means, an electricallyoperated device adapted when energized to prevent operative HIONGHIGIH]of the automatically operated train stopping means, a normally closedcircuit including a source of current connected with said electricallymechanically operated 3;-II1 automatic train stopping apparatus operatedmeans adapted when energized to prevent the operation of theautomatically operated train stopping means, a normally closed circuitincluding a source of current connected with the electrically operatedmeans, mechanically operated means to open the circuit, an electricallyoperated device to close the circuit at another point and in a shuntaround the point where the circuit is opened by the mechanicallyoperated means, and a stationary ramp serving the double function ofmoving the mechanically operated means and supplying current totheelectrically operated device.

4. In apparatus of the character described, train stopping means, meanscontrolling the operation of the same including a circuit, a

ramp, a source of current, means for connecting and disconnecting theramp with and from the source of current, a reciprocatory structure totravel into engagement with the ramp and be moved thereby, switch meansoperated by the reciprocatory struc ture upon the engagement of thesamewith the ramp to open the circuit at one point, and electrically peratedswitch means to close the circuit at another point upon the engagementof the reciprocatory structure with the ramp when the latter isconnected with the source of current.

5. The combination with the track rail, of a ramp rail; a vehicle havinga controlling device and a magnet for controlling said device; a currentsupply on the vehicle; a circuiton the vehicle which normally includesthe said electro-inagnet; acontact on the.

vehicle to engage the ramp rail and thereby ei'l'ecta break inlhe normalvehicle circuit WILLIAM B. MURRAY.

Witnesses: I

James L. CRAWFORD, B. N. Frsnnnmvn.

